Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

 Xbox 360
User Score
6.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 3152 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,842 out of 3152
  2. Mixed: 448 out of 3152
  3. Negative: 862 out of 3152
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  1. Bahamutalee
    Nov 1, 2011
    4
    The singleplayer is the star in this game because the multiplayer is absolute garbage. Which blows because you can see that the single player takes back seat to the abortion that really could have been a fun thing.
  2. Grasshugger
    Oct 31, 2011
    7
    Ah, Modern Warfare 2. Possibly the most controversial game of the century so far, at least among the gaming community. There is a lot of hate on this game, which is sad. The majority of hate is directed towards problems that developers Infinity Ward couldn't fix right away. The community expected more, which was unfair and now these reviews are clogged with haters. But I'll do my best toAh, Modern Warfare 2. Possibly the most controversial game of the century so far, at least among the gaming community. There is a lot of hate on this game, which is sad. The majority of hate is directed towards problems that developers Infinity Ward couldn't fix right away. The community expected more, which was unfair and now these reviews are clogged with haters. But I'll do my best to review fairly.

    The MW2 campaign is stunning. It was the first time in my gaming life that I have been open mouthed. I was blown away by the graphics and by the scope of the story, which went further than any previous CoD game before it. Sure, the graphics are no longer top dog now that games such as Uncharted 3 and Battlefield 3 are on the doorstep. But I always say that graphics don't make a game great, the game makes the game great. The story does suffer from cliche (Russians are the bad guys in every shooter these days) and yet does some new things that really impress you. There are moments too good to spoil here that Infinity Ward did excellently. The plot manages to be focused on the characters and the wider story, which many games have crumbled under. In short, the single player for this game is stunning. 10/10, no questions asked.

    But the multiplayer disappoints. It has become infested with glitches, hackers and mods that have decimated the loyalty of the community and have seen CoD's popularity become sliced in half. Many weapons and abilities in the game are heavily overpowered and overused such as grenade launchers and various killstreaks. Infinity Ward appear to have become the victims of their own success, bringing forth too many new ideas thinking that the community will love them all. The multiplayer is difficult to withstand and brings this game down to a 7/10.    … Expand
  3. richyzapper
    Oct 26, 2011
    8
    A bit late of a review, but I haven't exactly had it for ages and have been playing it I guess for the past year. So a lot of the bugs/glitches should have been gone but not everything is "Great" even with the patches. So let us begin with the single-player! If I had to say it's definitely linear but I actually really enjoyed it. Within the first few missions there are cinematic partsA bit late of a review, but I haven't exactly had it for ages and have been playing it I guess for the past year. So a lot of the bugs/glitches should have been gone but not everything is "Great" even with the patches. So let us begin with the single-player! If I had to say it's definitely linear but I actually really enjoyed it. Within the first few missions there are cinematic parts which are "Awesome", and the AI is al-right. The only downside to it is the linearities on where you can go (you can't really flank any of the enemies). Moving onto Co-op, i found that fantastic. Just playing that with a mate and trying to get all 69 stars (managed to get them all) was extremely challenging but that was the whole point on veteran. A lot of teamwork actually needed to get past certain parts of the co-op missions. Now the multi-player is the main area in this game though. Initially I'd have to say it's pretty much a great on-line experience but not without it's faults. One of the main gripes is actually trying to pick the right host. Many times it picked the worst host and you actually lagged out of the game. Also kill streak continuation is a pretty bad idea, as it often led to kill streak after kill streak after kill streak. Quick-scoping is also an immensely annoying part of the experience too. Sure it's not meant to be realistic but using a sniper as a shotgun or even a assault rifle (M1EBER or the last sniper you get with ACOG) is ridiculous. It's supposed to be used for long range not every single range! Apart from them minor hindrances the multi-player is actually a great experience! (Minus the Nuke!). So overall it gets a solid 8 from me, but there are a few problems which are still in the game for me and will probably never get solved with the inevitable release of Modern Warfare 3 in 2-3 weeks.… Expand
  4. fail4me
    Oct 3, 2011
    6
    First things first, the multiplayer is the best. Campain, to short and stupid. Infinity Ward kinda screwed up with this game, don't waste your money. This is just mindless killing.
  5. Kdall
    Sep 28, 2011
    1
    Let me come out first and say how much I loved Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare, It was the only game to break me from Halo 3, I loved the graphics, the game play, the weapon customization, and even the single player.

    Now let me tell you how much of a disappointment this game was, the campaign felt like Red Dawn on crack and when i finished it I really didn't feel satisfied, what did I just    Let me come out first and say how much I loved Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare, It was the only game to break me from Halo 3, I loved the graphics, the game play, the weapon customization, and even the single player.

    Now let me tell you how much of a disappointment this game was, the campaign felt like Red Dawn on crack and when i finished it I really didn't feel satisfied, what did I just accomplish? What is this series going to do next? Do I even care? Nope.

    Now on to the bread and butter, I don't actually mind the singeplayer being bad, because after all I buy Call of Duty games to play online games with my friends and dookie on the opposing team. I was kind of psyched to find out that Juggernaut and martyrdom had been removed, the only two things I really hated with a fiery passion from Modern Warfare 1. I quickly found out that it had been replaced with something far sinister, Painkiller and deathstreaks inc. The game literally rewards you for being bad, it goes against every gaming sensibility out there. There is a very high chance in every match if you start getting a good kill lead on the other team that they will start spawning with 3x-4x their normal health. Great Idea, lets penalize the other team for being good.

    The weapon balance is horrific, every class can literally use a SPAS or a machine pistol, so snipers can just bust out a shotgun if they get rushed. Dual wielding should have NEVER been added to the COD series, and its as broken as hell, the 1887's had to be nerfed because people were getting dropped from 20-30 yards away by dual wield shotguns...Yes...dual wielded shotguns. Plus some of the assault rifles are just too easy to use like the ACR, I mean you literally can't miss a bullet, opposed to COD4, where you practically had to burst fire the M4 or AK for them to work effectively at range.

    The perk system is terrible, the rate at which you unlock great perks takes too long and not only that, they encourage a very low cowardly form of play, Marathon/Commando/Lightweight setups, Army of One noob tube setups. These setups are used by badkids galore and they even the playing field because theres literally no counter for them.

    The killstreak system is extremely broken. I realize that the airstrike in COD4 gave you kills towards your chopper, but it ended at that. That system in this game is absurdly broken, because you can literally rack up 30+ kills in a minute and a half, it's just way too damn easy for one person to get out of control. Predator missle->double kill->harrier bomb kills+gun kills+your kills->chopper gunner, I used this setup and many others used it as well because it was just effective and easy obtain.

    The above mentioned killstreaks breaking into my gameplay segment. EVERYONE and their mother camps on this game for their own killstreaks, don't even try playing a public objective game, people will refuse to leave 5 yards away from where they spawn, it literally breaks down the game into a stalemate of campy badness.

    In conclusion I think I've been pretty fair with my issues on this game, and the only reason I'm giving it a ONE, is because they came out with barebones mode which doesn't allow killstreaks, only then was I able to see, well at least without the killstreaks muddying up the gameplay, it plays as a very competetive shooter when people are actually trying to win and do the objectives on the map.    … Expand
  6. xXRenTyrellXx
    Sep 21, 2011
    9
    It's probably the best Call of Duty game yet, tops the first Modern Warfare in every way. Even though multiplayer seems to be where it's at for everyone, I however very much enjoyed its single player campaign the most. It's a highly entertaining epic war-field. Loved it.
  7. Buttfudder
    Sep 21, 2011
    6
    look the first modernwarfare game was innovative and an excellent game but modernwarfare 2 was a dissipointing. The campaign was ok, nothing was bad about it but it had been all done before. The new perks were a small positive which was blown out of proportion by fanboys as only stealth perks can be used and if you didn't snipe you were an 3p1cn00b... oh god why? Noscoping quickscopinglook the first modernwarfare game was innovative and an excellent game but modernwarfare 2 was a dissipointing. The campaign was ok, nothing was bad about it but it had been all done before. The new perks were a small positive which was blown out of proportion by fanboys as only stealth perks can be used and if you didn't snipe you were an 3p1cn00b... oh god why? Noscoping quickscoping JUST STOP IT. Montage after montage on quickscoping aargh. The fact that is has call of duty slapped infront of its title brought it huge revenue and drew players from other games. these players then when they had had their 19th game in a row where they were 0-19 and raging at everybody for using assault rifles and small machine guns, they would then migrate to another game and spread the 'snipe or you los' cancer. Look the game is an alrounder alright game. To sum it up the campaign was nothign new but didn't suck and the multiplayer was barable. Im happy to take up any argument you have with my comment, my xbox live is boxylyric oh and i think i have an unpositive kill death ratio but its not like the mw2 community cares about the type of thing right?… Expand
  8. bram29
    Sep 17, 2011
    8
    years of experience and tons of call of duty games have taught the creators of the call of duty series how to make a satisfying action game. the details are amazing. the plot wasn't as good as modern warfare 1, but i liked it nonetheless. looking out to modern warfare 3!
  9. KingerSays
    Sep 6, 2011
    7
    Battlefield fanboys are the only people who rate this game downwards. The single player campaign is absolutely FANTASTIC, although it is unfortunately let down in some points by the multiplayer - these points being the unbalance of certain weapons in the game and perks.
  10. iSkate
    Sep 2, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello! hello!… Expand
  11. drnerd
    Aug 31, 2011
    0
    This is the most overrated game of all time. One "cool" kid decided to play CODMW2 and now millions of copies are sold. A terrible campaign story (shoot bad guys hur hur) and overated multiplayer combine to make the a terrible game. This junk game stole money from countless good games and ruined the gaming market forever.
  12. berga92
    Aug 26, 2011
    10
    After 2 years this came out I'm still playing the online as I did 2 years ago. Glitches/bugs are in every game, in this one they are just a minunum part. I love this game.
  13. MadCap1987
    Aug 21, 2011
    6
    single player has a few cool moments but for the most part it was just a shooting gallery, multiplayer was fun for like a year and a half and now its boring, this rating represents how well the game has withstood the test of time, like all classic games should.
  14. davenbettridge
    Aug 2, 2011
    7
    The Call of Duty creators must be criticized for having the greatest opportunity in the industry with unlimited resources to only coming up with something half good and not a masterpiece. Call of Duty MW2 has its production values, its popular, it has high quality models, shooting animations and sounds which do provides players some immediate satisfying gameplay (for a short time). But theThe Call of Duty creators must be criticized for having the greatest opportunity in the industry with unlimited resources to only coming up with something half good and not a masterpiece. Call of Duty MW2 has its production values, its popular, it has high quality models, shooting animations and sounds which do provides players some immediate satisfying gameplay (for a short time). But the overall 'game' of MW2 is a mixed bag and fails to be something really special, not just a 'fun' or 'popular' game. The single player story is a bad joke, the themes and meanings the story portrays are a contradictory muddled mess. The special Op missions do offer some well designed gameplay but why the story mode is not intertwined is confusing, I would have preferred the entire story dropped for more Special Ops. The multiplayer can be fun for short periods of time but does lack depth which is why it has not resonated as a competitive Esport title. I do recommend MW2 due its surface fun and value for money but it lacks to what should have been something much much more.… Expand
  15. LewisFFC
    Jul 22, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After finishing this game, including a sad yet accomplished tenth prestige, I feel that I am in a position to properly review this game - much unlike most others who simply give a review of the multiplayer and ignore al other aspects of the game. One of the comments on the page that claims to discover large plot 'holes', however these are only holes in their intellect as they were unable to grasp the high octane storyline. The only hole - and a slight one at that is (Spoiler Alert) when the prisoner is broken out of the Gulag to use as bait for Makarov as he is the only one who will turn Makarov's head turns out to be Price. This is incorrect as Price did not kill Imran Zakhaev - Soap did in Modern Warfare one. Besides this small plot hole the single player is fun and enjoyable although is slightly short, but this is only if you play it on easy and run through the levels whilst not paying proper attention to the story. The special ops section of the game is a new feature to the series of games and is thoroughly enjoyable with a sense of achievement after completing them. However, I believe that the game comes into its own light during multiplayer. Despite clear faults the game was released early - Activision wanted it pushed through where Infinity Ward wanted more time to complete the game fully - and had plenty of bugs that players were able to exploit to get easy kills. The killsteaks are innovative and although there may well be other games that introduced this first but they are on a different level to other games. The tactical nuke - annoying for those who are simply not good at the game and fun for those who are tactical about their play or who work as a team - is a great feature that I enjoy trying to achieve. The perks online can also be frustrating - commando is a normally hated perk but if the player uses this I dont see a problem as they may find your perks as annoying as they are all beneficial to the individual. The spawning system may well be a pain but how is it you would like it to be changed? Being a programmer I understand the difficulty of creating such a system and no matter what way you create it, there will always be people complaining about it. Overall I would say that this is simply one of the best shooter games ever created and although many people find its flaws, look at the critic reviews, not all of them can be wrong can they?… Expand
  16. 2thPic
    Jul 16, 2011
    9
    Once you start playing this game online, its hard to play any other, you feel at home when you pick up the controller and barge into the familiar maps, using your custom made classes and skins on your guns, this trilogy has created millions of fan-boys like myself that find this game one of the most entertaining on the market, (except for portal 2)
  17. ZeGamer
    Jul 8, 2011
    9
    Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is the game of the decade. The game's deep storyline, which captivates the very thought of the games capacity to generate fun which is in fact endless, is quite different to many other games. It is a mixture of emotions of anger, happiness, revenge and sadness. From the start where you put on a show for a few newcomers, to the end when you save Captain Price,Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is the game of the decade. The game's deep storyline, which captivates the very thought of the games capacity to generate fun which is in fact endless, is quite different to many other games. It is a mixture of emotions of anger, happiness, revenge and sadness. From the start where you put on a show for a few newcomers, to the end when you save Captain Price, the game is captivating. I believe that this game has the potential to wake up other Video game companies and remind them of the competition Every single second of campaign had me demanding for the next. The Multiplayer is just revolutionary. It brings a whole new meaning to the word 'multiplayer'. Modes such as Free-For-All and Team Death match, will leave you sitting in front of the television for hours together. Special Ops however was the downfall for the whole game. It to mix up both the multi-pIayer and campaign game modes but, inevitably failed. It still was fun though.

    I believe that this game can overpower any other game that will challenge it. it will wake up other Video game companies and remind them of the competition that they are in. After that, the other video game companies will stop releasing good-for-nothing games and start thinking of games that we actually want, not games that will just make them money. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has the potential to do so.    … Expand
  18. Sci-Fi-Dude1456
    Jul 7, 2011
    10
    Best Call of Duty game in the franchise!!! At least this is better than the stupid Call of Duty Black Ops . The fun thing about this game is the multiplayer and Spec Ops which is very addicting. The Campaign is really fun too 10/10.
  19. aviaryfilm
    Jul 6, 2011
    6
    The gameplay IS fun, but it couldn't distract me from the all-too-expansive story. COD4's charm was in playing as an unknown operative on a small but crucial stealth/action mission. MW2's story expands to a global scale and is mostly heavy action that the player follows rather than controls. And the story is criminally short to boot, weighing in at a pathetic 6 hours of gameplay time.
  20. bighead6000
    Jul 4, 2011
    7
    In my opinion, Modern warfare 2 is not even close to being as good as the first modern warfare. I feel like the multiplayer in this game is not that good, along with the maps that come along. The campaign is OK, but jumps from place to place to much. I do think the spec ops mode is good though. Overall this call of duty is good, but not as good as the past ones.
  21. canyouflyray
    Jun 21, 2011
    10
    Incredible game from start to finish. People complain about how short the single player is but I think it's fine and the Black Ops thing is really fun, quite a challenge. Still wish they would have a co-op main story play through like Halo. Oh and those people who give this game anything below a 7 like some of the ones I can see from the screen like FlaMinG TaCo or JeffD wow a 2 and a 0Incredible game from start to finish. People complain about how short the single player is but I think it's fine and the Black Ops thing is really fun, quite a challenge. Still wish they would have a co-op main story play through like Halo. Oh and those people who give this game anything below a 7 like some of the ones I can see from the screen like FlaMinG TaCo or JeffD wow a 2 and a 0 you people and people like you are the reason why User Scores can't be taken with a grain of salt games should be reviewed by graphics, content, controls, and game play. Your review of this game and any other shouldn't even exist because of the sheer ignorance of the creator of them. All the Critics review are all positive so I'm wondering what's wrong you guys.… Expand
  22. anton1234
    Jun 18, 2011
    6
    This games campaign is too short. I mean that the levels on the campaign is good, but very short. And in the online there are too many glitches. It´s too overrated. So mine review is kinda negative.
  23. XeXs
    Jun 17, 2011
    4
    This is the worst **** I have ever played! Full of bugs, graphics in this game are like it was relased in 2004! Textures of weapons are like made by stupid yeti. Everyone compares it to Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Why, I am asking? If I would compare both of them, I'd say: Bad Company has the destruction, physics, maps are 10x bigger, you need to use brain when you are playing. I don'tThis is the worst **** I have ever played! Full of bugs, graphics in this game are like it was relased in 2004! Textures of weapons are like made by stupid yeti. Everyone compares it to Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Why, I am asking? If I would compare both of them, I'd say: Bad Company has the destruction, physics, maps are 10x bigger, you need to use brain when you are playing. I don't see any positive arguments to buy this game. You can just borrow it from your friend. And I don't know, why the reviewers gave 100 to this game! Oh, sorry! Not a game, a piece of **** Ok, so now I'm going to say good things about this game: when you kill a person in multiplayer, you feel badass, killstreaks are good point and weapon customization. Think about, before you buy this game...… Expand
  24. BoTheMastaOfAll
    Jun 16, 2011
    0
    This game is fun for about 30 minutes, if you're smart. Dumbasses play this game. You have to be pretty stupid to think this is a great game with all its plot holes, unbalanced perks, rehashed multiplayer, and almost never ending stream of DLC. Not only does this **** company try to nickle and dime you almost everywhere, but the company considered charging a monthly fee to fix the glitchesThis game is fun for about 30 minutes, if you're smart. Dumbasses play this game. You have to be pretty stupid to think this is a great game with all its plot holes, unbalanced perks, rehashed multiplayer, and almost never ending stream of DLC. Not only does this **** company try to nickle and dime you almost everywhere, but the company considered charging a monthly fee to fix the glitches that shouldn't have even existed. I won't spout them here, read online about the dozen or so glitches in the multiplayer. When the game isn't glitchy, it's unbalanced. The multiplayer behaves more like a first person Ninja Gaiden then a "tactical" shooter. You can literally set up a ninja class. It would seem fun, but it's not. Isn't this game supposed to be realistic? Controls are good, but classes are way to unbalanced. Shotguns as a secondary were a bad idea. As for the plot, that sucks too. It has as much action as Transformers 2, but with a worse story. Let me think, I'm in an elevator with the world's most dangerous man. His back is turned. I have a fully loaded LMG. There is no bigger current threat to world peace. "What should I do Mr. GeneralBackStabbyForNoReason?" "Kill 150 civilians" "Ok," says I. THAT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE! What morons thought that up!? If I read a review about Modern Warfare 3 that even says the word "plothole" I will not buy the game.… Expand
  25. DME
    Jun 9, 2011
    8
    It's shocking to see so many unfair, negative reviews. Most people seem to base their reviews only on the online multiplayer. While important, it isn't everything. Modern Warfare 2 delivered a pretty good campaign. It's a bit linear and the story is full of holes, but the action is non-stop and there is plenty of variety. The Special Ops mode is the sweetest part of the whole package.It's shocking to see so many unfair, negative reviews. Most people seem to base their reviews only on the online multiplayer. While important, it isn't everything. Modern Warfare 2 delivered a pretty good campaign. It's a bit linear and the story is full of holes, but the action is non-stop and there is plenty of variety. The Special Ops mode is the sweetest part of the whole package. While a bit dull by yourself, it's great fun with a friend or sibling. Then there's the online multiplayer. Everything you love about Call fo Duty is there: Prestiging, upgrades, attatchments, killstreaks, etc... But for some reason I hated MW2 multiplayer. The maps are designed decently well and graphics are very nice, but it's the balance and overall gameplay that seriously sunk my opinion towards it. So, the campaign gets 8/10. Special Ops gets a 9/10. Multiplayer gets a 6/10.… Expand
  26. WillJSpencer
    Jun 5, 2011
    10
    Modern Warfare 2 is an amazing game that should be bought by gamers of all types. Many reviewers on here are biased towards the negative, and anything below an 8 is absolutley ridiculous and extremely biased. This game would be a 9.5 in my opinion, but I rounded up for a perfect score of 10.
    Gameplay: The gameplay is unbielevable. I have never played a game that works better on an XBOX    Modern Warfare 2 is an amazing game that should be bought by gamers of all types. Many reviewers on here are biased towards the negative, and anything below an 8 is absolutley ridiculous and extremely biased. This game would be a 9.5 in my opinion, but I rounded up for a perfect score of 10.
    Gameplay: The gameplay is unbielevable. I have never played a game that works better on an XBOX 360 controller than this game. Shooting a gun is so fun it's unreal. pick any gun up in this game and you will have fun shooting it no matter what. The multiplayer is great and balanced but does need some fixing in some areas. Throughout your multiplayer expierience, you will see many different guns because all guns have some pros and cons. There are about 6 different attachments for each primary weapon and about 8 or more camos for each primary weapon. You can earn a TON of challenges that will take you 20 hours of gameplay to achieve all of them. Even after that, you can still have fun and prestige. This game has almost endless replay value. The single player is short but sweet. I got through it in 4 hours on Recruit, 5 hours on Regular, 6 hours on Hardened, and 8 hours on Veteran. Even after that, there is co-op in which you can play solo or with another player online or split-screen. That takes maybe 6 or 7 hours to complete on Regular, and 10 hours to earn all stars. The gameplay is a 10.0
    Presentation: The in-game music never gets old and I say that after playing this game for 2 years. The menu navigation is swift and convenient, and the color scheme is great but simple. Not much else to say, 10.0
    Graphics: This game has smooth visuals and amazing lighting effects. The multiplayer maps have been worked on for hours and it's evident because the visuals are top-notch even out of the map. Single player is even better and there are no bugs or gaps in the graphics at all. The graphics are a 10.0    … Expand
  27. LordOFlibertY
    Jun 1, 2011
    7
    Said to be the World's most anticipated Entertainment of our time. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is game from Infinity Ward with an updated fludity then Call of Duty 4. The campaign is very short and seems like the process is being rushed, in both good and bad ways. The multiplayer is one of the most addictive experience hands down but can severe alot due to imbalance issues. This is mostSaid to be the World's most anticipated Entertainment of our time. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is game from Infinity Ward with an updated fludity then Call of Duty 4. The campaign is very short and seems like the process is being rushed, in both good and bad ways. The multiplayer is one of the most addictive experience hands down but can severe alot due to imbalance issues. This is most likely due to the reason that most guns kill in 2-3 shots. I give this game 7/10 but hope that they can learn from the dozens of mistake they have made and fix it in Modern Warfare 3.… Expand
  28. msherry9
    May 22, 2011
    9
    I think that it's a little obvious that the first half of the beginning user critics page is nothing more than a bunch of raging kids who are upset because they cannot win by camping on this game's multiplayer. My only response is that I'm glad that you hate this game, because judging by the way that I guarantee you play, I hate you too. This review is obviously more than a year late and II think that it's a little obvious that the first half of the beginning user critics page is nothing more than a bunch of raging kids who are upset because they cannot win by camping on this game's multiplayer. My only response is that I'm glad that you hate this game, because judging by the way that I guarantee you play, I hate you too. This review is obviously more than a year late and I realized that I just had to write my piece on this phenomenal shooter. Call me a COD nuthugger or whatnot, but when you discard your flaming nerd rage and begin to see clearly, you realize that this really is the top notch pinnacle of military shooters in modern gaming. And yes, it far exceeds Battlefield in almost every aspect. To start, the single player is most definitely and undeniably short, ranging in the neighborhood of about 3 hours or so. But those 3 hours are so remarkably jaw-dropping that it somehow forces you after completion to return to the first level and do it all over again. The voice-acting is tremendously well done, and the graphics, even by today's standards, are simply fantastic. The storyline is extremely believable and the campaign contains some of the most exciting set pieces and action sequences that I have ever witnessed in a shooter. From the very beginning stage, all the way up until the final firefight, I was completely mesmerized at the attention to detail the developers gave this game. The intense gunfights that take place on U.S. soil left me completely wowed, and never once was there a stale moment on the campaign. The Spec Ops co-op mode is a great addition to play through with a friend, providing a host of exciting short missions to blast through. Moving on to what really amazes me is the multiplayer. Every time that I enter another match, it reminds me that this really is the king of all first person shooters. The hit markers are near flawless, aiming is extremely smooth and tight, and the arsenal of weaponry is about as close to completely balanced as you can get. Most of the maps are fantastic, save for a few camper-oriented ones that I veto on sight. The sheer amount of perks, upgrades, weapon attachments, and challenges to unlock is almost overwhelming, and never ceases to be addicting. There is literally always something to keep playing towards to unlock. The newly added unlockable titles from the first game always has me working towards something new, and the emblems as well are a pure blast to unlock. The game keeps track of a huge array of statistics, ranging from obvious headshots of a gun, all the way to the number of times you killed someone with a direct flashbang impact. However, there are still some things that should be tweaked, such as the Danger Close perk and Commando perk, which are both noob-friendly and overpowered. I am a LEGIT level 70 tenth prestige, so I believe I have enough experience to voice my opinion on this. Also, the UMP45 could use a little toning down in terms of damage, accuracy, recoil, or anything else associated with it. The killstreaks are absolutely revolutionary, since you have wannabes such as Medal of Honor and Black Ops that straight up copied the majority of them. The amount of noob campers that are crying about how trashy this game is have absolutely no idea what they're talking about, and are simply there to hate because this game is so popular. And it's popular for good reason too: it's the best military shooter on the market without a doubt. Even though the game infuriates me to no end (at times), I just take a step back and tell myself that despite all of my irrational rage, it's still the best there is, and I know that I'll go back to playing it the next day. And since the game is at a much lower price at the present, you cannot go wrong with this purchase if you enjoy military shooters or shooters in general.… Expand
  29. FuzzyCheese
    May 21, 2011
    3
    While the campaign and spe ops modes were time passing and fun, the multiplayer, which is the primary use of Call of Duty, seemed mediocre and lack luster at best. It was the cause of numerous holes in walls and countless sore throats. In the end, many people simply broke the disk. never wanting anyone to play it again.
  30. JoeFunky
    May 9, 2011
    0
    I never though a game could be so terribly over hyped. This proved me wrong. Starting with the Campaign, it was much too short, not nearly as epic as Call of Duty 4's, and was overall disappointing. The only part I really enjoyed was the airport level, it was funny (I didn't take it seriously since it was, you know, a video game). Even the ending was cliche and disappointing, not toI never though a game could be so terribly over hyped. This proved me wrong. Starting with the Campaign, it was much too short, not nearly as epic as Call of Duty 4's, and was overall disappointing. The only part I really enjoyed was the airport level, it was funny (I didn't take it seriously since it was, you know, a video game). Even the ending was cliche and disappointing, not to mention all the plot holes pointed out by Games Radar. Next up came Spec-Ops mode. Some of the missions in this were kinda fun, others were boring, and some were just stupid (I'm talking about you, mission to kill 15 juggernauts with explosives only). The only reason I spent the time to complete it was for the achievements, and it almost wasn't worth it. Finally, the multiplayer: DISGUSTING. The perks are based on 3 play styles: Run and Knife, Quick scoping, and Camping. No matter what you say, quickly going into your scope and killing someone is NOT skill, learn to use legit aim and not let bullet magnetism/auto assist get your kills. One Man Army just led the way for super noob-tube (Grenade Launcher) campers, and commando+lightweight+marathon=Knifing which I find also to have no skill since you just sneak up on people and run to fast to get killed. Overall, I turned this game in when I finished it, and absolutely regret ever buying it. Overall, if you prominently use any of the above mentioned play styles, please get this and stay on this game. If not, get any Battlefield game, or wait for new shooters, as this was a TOTAL LETDOWN.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2009
1
#1 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2009
3
#3 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2009

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
94

Universal acclaim - based on 100 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 100 out of 100
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 100
  3. Negative: 0 out of 100
  1. Telegraph
    100
    Modern Warfare 2 crosses into the must-have category of video games effortlessly. It offers an unmatched shooter experience, a compelling story mode, a slick package of mini missions and a multiplayer which is pretty much unparalleled in depth.
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  2. Cynamite
    100
    Modern Warfare 2 offers epic gameplay, a stunning Spec-Ops mode and a huge amount of adrenaline.
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  3. GamesRadar+
    100
    Anyone who already has issues with the single-player ‘style’ of IW’s games will still find fault with the scripted, linear experience, but in terms of sheer drama and show-stopping set-pieces accompanied by laser sharp FPS controls, Modern Warfare 2 is your daddy. And that’s without Spec Ops and Multiplayer.
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